How often does your Y1 child read to their teacher?

[purpleturtle]

Apologies in advance - I'm mid tea/bath/bed routine here, but I'm also a bit annoyed...

Dd does not appear to have read to her class teacher since 6 March. She has read to various TAs, parents, and the cover teacher, but I don't think any of them have the authority to put her up a reading level.

Do you think I should have a word in the morning, or is this completely normal?

I don't think my charge reads to her teacher either, but fortunatly she has a fantastic TA, who listens to them read. I would maybe have a chat with her teacher in the morning if you're concerned

We have the same issue sometimes - I just make a point of writing in his home/school contact book "X seems to know ALL the level Y vab now - time for the next level??"

And then they check for themselves...

vab = "Vocab" - clearly

Twice weekly to teacher, twice to TA. I'd have a gentle word (rather than a march in and complain)

Dd's class never read on their own to a teacher - they read in a group with a TA.

It's their home reading books, not their reading in school, which are chosen according to their level. They change them three times a week, and just move on to the next book in the series each time. Once they finish one level they just move to the first book of the next level (or onto free readers once they're up to a certain stage). This is done by the TA, not the teacher.

Have a word with the teacher and establish what their policy is. Once you know, it will be easier to make sure that your dd is getting the right books.

At ds1's school it's usually the TA who listens to the children reading. She is allowed to move children up through the reading levels though. I don't remember ever seeing the teacher's name in his reading diary but the class do a lot of group reading so the teacher hears ds1 that way.

Once a week at the moment. Keep meaning to find out why.

DS2 read to his yr1 teacher weekly and changed books daily.
DS1 read to his yr1 teachers about 3 times a year, and rarely got promoted.

Now many years on - ds1 is a booklover, and reads fiction for hours on end. DS2 won't go near a 'story' unless bribed and cajoled (likes nf though).

I really don't think these things are as crucial as we think at the time.

Does your DD do guided reading with the teacher?

In my class the teacher takes a group of children at approximately the same level and they all read individually from the same book. (Usually a level higher than the one they take home). The focus is something different every week not just whether they can read the words. My teacher tells me to put a child up a reading level based on this activity.

In my class there is no timetabling for any child to do one-to-one reading at all.

If you want to mention it, ask in the morning if you could have a chat after school. Then when you have her undivided attention ask how you think she is doing in her reading and is there anything you could help her with.

Try not to be annoyed!

DO you think she is at the wrong level?

Ds reads about once a week to a teacher or TA. Formally that is, from a graded reading book. He does of course read things out all the time in class. She knows where he's at.

DS2 reads to the teacher once a week in group guided reading. Once every half-term she aims to hear them read from their own reading book - which is, in the case of his group, much higher than the guided reading books. The children also read once most weeks to a parent helper, but not all children will get heard every week.

DS1, in a private international school, read to the teacher twice a week and to a parent helper twice a week.

3x week either teacher or TA, so I guess teacher at least onc\e

mind you he isn't really on a level anymore, just chooses books from the library and gets through 2 a week I reckon. jeremy strong, alan ahlberg, horrid henry sort of stuff

Raspberryberet - that sounds a bit of an arbitrary method. Does it work for the majority of the children or do some move onto more difficult stages without proper understanding?

If they are anything like some of the children and parents in my class they would just 'whizz' through all the books just to reach a higher level than their friends!

As I just posted, they can't actually do this though but are still quite competitive (mainly girls of course)!

Thanks for all the responses!

I'm not concerned about dd's reading as such, other than the fact that we are both a bit bored with this level.

I suppose I wonder whether she's being overlooked because her reading is very good.

We do change books frequently, as this is actively encouraged, but the children have to choose from the level set by the teacher, and as I said, AFAIK only the teacher will move her up.

I'm not even asking the teacher to hear her on a weekly basis, but I'm not sure that it's right for her to go a full half-term without doing so.

I wasn't too impressed with it, hamster - but it seems to have worked OK for dd.

We were concerned that she was ripping through them too fast and would eventually just run out of steam when they became too hard, but they only go to a certain level and then choose their own books.

I am not happy that the teachers don't hear the children read every week but my complaints don't seem to have been taken very seriously. When ds was in year one he really struggled with reading, and he would simply not have coped with the method they use now.

One boy in dd's class didn't have his reading book replaced for two months because the TA forgot to put one in his bookbag, and because they only replace them once you sign to say they've been read (and his mum couldn't sign it because she didn't get it) no-one noticed. If they had to read to the teachers, it would have been flagged up (although you'd think his mum would have questioned it!).

Once a month with teacher , once a week with TA or parent/helper and every night with me !

The teacher puts them up if necessary .

The children are responsbile for changing their own reading books once in Yr1. The teacher reminds them everyday to change them if they have finished.

No doubt she keeps a closer eye on some of the other children who need additional support.

When I was teaching I would try to hear every child once a week individually and once as part of group reading. If they had special needs or their parents never read with them then someone - myself/parent helper/TA would try and hear them every day.

Reads once a week to TA.
Once a month to teacher.

OK, so dd tells me that the TA who heard her read today is trying to get some people up a level (she does have the authority to do so) and that she checked dd's record to see how long she's been at this level. So they are aware she's been at this level for nearly 3 months.

I have put a comment in the record that says this is the 20th book we've read at this level, and could we move up soon?

It'll do for starters.

Thanks for all your comments.

Blimey - this thread is a shocker.

My dd reads to her teacher 3 days a week and to her TA 2 days a week - she has a new book as soon as she gets through one - which used to be one a day - but she's moved up onto 30 page books lately - so one every 3 days ish !

I know the local state school states that it will "endeavour to hear each child read every week" - which was part of the reason we went private !

Once in Sept to the actual teacher, but at least once a week to the TA. Never thought it might matter

Once since Sept, I meant!

DS is in private international school and prob reads to teacher once a week or so. TA changes books every day based on whether I sign the record book. ATM we are getting 2 books a night. Most nights we do both. We seem to work right through a level and then have some books from another scheme to sort of consolidate.

Seems to suit DS OK. Is currently on ORT stage 4.